May 9, 2014 5:36 pm

Paul Richardson was one of the top receivers in the country last season at Colorado. / AP photo

The Seahawks finally made a pick and selected Colorado wideout Paul Richardson.

Richardson is thin, but extremely fast. He’s 6-feet tall and 175 pounds. At Colorado, he was essentially their only offensive option. He had 83 catches for 1,343 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Here’s how Richardson described himself at the NFL combine:

“Being able to score in multiple ways. Taking it on 3-yard routes or downfield 30 yards, being able to stretch the field on any starting point is a good trait to have,” Richardson said. “(A) split between Mike Wallace and DeSean Jackson right now. I’m trying to come in and make a name for myself.”

Richardson was dismissed from UCLA’s team before arriving along with two others — Shaquille Richardson and Josh Shirley, the latter of which enrolled at the University of Washington.

The three, who had been enrolled in summer school, were arrested by University of California Police on June 23 on suspicion of stealing a purse and face felony theft charges.

Richardson also missed the 2012 season with Colorado because of a torn ACL. He obviously came back strong after that.

His freshman season, he had 34 catches for 514 yards. His sophomore year those totals went to 39 catches for 555 yards before his tremendous bump during his senior year.

Colorado’s quarterback is former Bellarmine Prep quarterback Sefo Liufau. He was asked what separates Richardson from other receivers.

“One is speed,” Liufau. “Not many guys can keep up with him. Also the separation he creates on the line. He loses a lot of corners (cornerbacks) at the line of scrimmage. He’s a hard worker and I believe he will go far in the NFL.”

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Gregg Bell joined The News Tribune in July 2014. Bell had been the director of writing for the University of Washington's athletic department for four years. He was the senior national sports writer in Seattle for The Associated Press from 2005-10, covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season and beyond. He's also been The Sacramento Bee's beat writer on the Oakland Athletics and Raiders. The native of Steubenville, Ohio, is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a 2000 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

Again they try to prove they’re smarter than everyone with the top pick. Ridiculous. Can’t block, felony charges, ACL, drops too many passes. They should have kept trading down till we had every pick in the 7th.

If I’ve learned anything, its that JS/PC are unconventional. Would I have liked a big tall WR? Of course, however, just because thats the SOP for NFL now, doesn’t mean it’s the only way to do things. 2 speedsters (Percy and Richardson) plus baldwin and lockette? Honestly, being a defense who you going to cover and how? Throw in the sweeps and things with Lynch…. I can see this being a nightmare for apposing defenses…

Last but not least, Draft prospects are EXACTLY that! How many sure things have we all seen turn out to be busts… and how many surefire busts have turned out to be HOF’ers.

There is no comparison to Percy Harvin here. Any comparison is lunacy, imo. Harvin is not a deep threat. Just because he’s fast doesn’t mean he’s a deep threat. Richardson seems to be the type of guy we don’t have who can “take the top off” a defense. If he’s a poor man’s D. Jackson, that’s awesome because that guy can stretch a defense – which no current Seahawks WR can do. Harvin is also small, compact, and surprisingly powerful. This guy is a fast lanky dude. No comparison whatsoever except they both are fast and play WR for the Seahawks.

Don’t be a stranger when this turns into another strong draft for Petey and Half Pint, bassnw.

I never said I was smarter than people here. I said you should’ve learned by now that PC/JS are smarter than anyone here with regard to drafting for the Hawks and they should’ve earned some trust with you. By all means, continue to flap your gums. I’m sure you’ve built many top notch rosters and have multiple SB trophies. I’m fine with Petey and Half Pint trying “to prove they’re smarter than everyone with the top pick” on their way to another SB.

Rice is on a one year deal, Baldwin will probably only sign his one year tender, and both may be gone in ’15. This pick is being responsible and making sure we’ve got a guy in storage who will hone his craft for a year (like Jordan Hill is about to be unleashed in ’14).

Are JS and PC infallible? Of course not. Will this pick work out? Who knows? But I find it hilarious that we have some people here complaining like those guys didn’t just turn our whole team around in a few years by making unconventional moves and picks. Didn’t we just win our first ever super bowl? The sky is falling already? Good grief.

SRV, I gave you two examples that prove they don’t have a great track record with their top picks. They shine in evaluating talent in the later rounds. And no, I don’t build rosters, and, hate to break it to you, but you don’t either. By the way, this is a blog so without people “flapping their gums, it would be a blank page. But then again, some people never learn.

Never claimed I did. I didn’t insinuate that I know better than PC/JS like you either. Try reading the posts next time. The Hawks are 50/50 with their 1st round picks even if you already deem Irvin a bust, which is premature IMO. 50/50 in the 1st round is average, but being as well informed as you seem I bet you already knew that.

Whatever, man. Look it up. And I mean in reality, not in the fantasy world in your head. Bust is subjective and requires balancing evaluation of play with expectations based on their draft position. And at least 3 years should pass to make a determination.

Regardless, who gives a spit which round they’re drafting their great players in? They did win the SB, right?

BTW you conveniently leave out the fact that (although Carp & Irvin could be busts, and were picked in the later part of the first round) the other two first round picks are Pro Bowlers and one is arguably the best at his position.

50% Pro Bowl rate for 1st round picks in the NFL is high in case you would like to know.

Okay, I get that Hawk’s picks coincide with an increase in Pepto sales, but how can anyone not like this pick? This guy is a potential game changer, not just a depth pick. This is a great pickup for us and will hopefully allow us to open up the offense a bit and playcall as if Percy Harvin wasn’t on an exercise bicycle on the sideline rather than on the field.

A wr this fast is a good bet to replace tate as PR. Besides we are on a SB run again this yr and this wr runs good routes, gets separation at the LOS and also on deep routes. With Harvin, Rice, Baldwin, Kearse, and Lockette this wr doesn’t have to become the every down wr this yr, yet still provide significant scoring threat in limited time given. Plus lets face it, Harvin and Rice have been known to get hurt and adding this wr to DB and Kearse is very welcome indeed.

Early means rds 1 & 2… Okung and ET were no brainers.. rated the top at their respected positions.. everybody here made those two picks.. Tate was next to worthless his first 2 yrs, tho did produce his last 2.. so 2 yrs of production out of 4 for a 2nd rounder.. Carp – bust.. Irvin jury still out but is leaning toward bust.. Wagner – stud.. Micheal – who knows but has contributed zero so far.. will he learn pass pro? will he value the rock? Richardson & Britt… both projected lower.. both have blown an acl.. Guess you have to throw Harvin in there too.. and I consider him a stud tho he was already a proven commodity when they got him..

So 3 great picks (2 no brainers).. one good pick.. one sure bust.. a second looming.. one who we have no idea if he can play.. Harvin.. and these most recent 2..

Now I hope Richardson can play and picks the game up quicker than Tate did.. He is adding wt up to 183.. has run a 4.3.. and averaged 47 yds per TD last yr.. Britt looks like he might be a fit at LG and can play multiple positions like the FO likes.. So like I’ve said prev I will absolutely give JS/PC the benefit of the doubt here.. but it seems like they attempt to be unconventional all the time..

A couple of us have asked “What’s not to like about the Richardson Pick?”

Nothing against Paul Richardson exactly, but a fast, 5’11” WR isn’t really an upper tier position of need. Wasn’t their an O-Lineman or a D-Lineman available that greaded out just as high? How about a big tight end? Or a LB?

This is just about as mystifing as the Christine Michael pick a year ago.

Ricardo Lockette – 4.37. DeShawn Jackson – 4.39. Which one of the two plays fast?

40yd dash time doesn’t always equate to deep threat/deep separation/downfield speed. The sources I’ve read agree that Richardson has top-end speed on the field – the kind that can take the top off a defense. Those same sources say Latimer is more of an athletic possession receiver who can leap and muscle the ball away with great body control, but doesn’t get great separation or show deep speed.

The Seattle front office always says they look for exceptional traits. That’s why they go against their own so-called mold at times. They’re supposed to love only big receivers, but they traded for Harvin and drafted Tate and Richardson. I’m going to guess that Schneider and Carroll spend a lot of time talking about deep speed as Richardson’s unique trait.

BTW Doug Baldwin called the Paul Richardson pick 90 minutes before the draft. KJR pressed him on who Seattle would pick, and Baldwin named Richardson and gave a mini-scouting report that could be worthy of a draftnik site. I wonder just how tight Baldwin is with the front office…

Yes, I am a Bronco fan and have been since before the Hawks were fledged. I also am a Colorado Buffalo. If Richardson stays healthy you all will not be disappointed with this pick. A few factoids we should clean up in this article. The charges against PR were from before he joined CU and they were dropped. PR had no off field incidents in his time at CU. PR is 6 foot to 6’1. He isn’t a smurf…but PR struggles to be 175. PR is fast, I don’t mean 4.4 seconds at the combine fast, I don’t even mean 4.28 fastest electronic time he has been timed at fast…Nope, I mean put pads on him and he is football fast. There wasn’t a game where PR wasn’t the fastest player on the field last year….and yes CU played (and got crushed) by Oregon. With pads on, PR will likely become the fastest player for the Hawks. Which is saying something. PR has great hands when he is focused…but give him a ball where he is out there all Han Solo like and sometimes…woops. PR was double or even triple teamed all but a handful of plays last year. 4 of the 5 times I remember him being single covered he torched the D. Oh and stop for a minute and look at his stats…College kid double or triple covered as he was the only legit weapon on his team and he still puts up those stats (83-1343)? Oh and yes he can and will return punts. PR will be two years away from his knee injury which means this year he will regain full explosiveness out of sharp breaks. Already a good route runner he now will require opposing DB’s to tape their jocks on in order not to lose them.
Get excited Hawks…I hate to say it, but you just got better. GRUMBLE MUMBLE GRUMBLE

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